The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-02
EXPENSE ACCOUNTS.
Personal and Household Cash Books
as Kept by the Average Woman.

=
expense so as to know just where the
money goes" A harmless appearing
remark enough, full of evident good
sense and practicability, but, alas! the
unfortunate and inexperienced recipient
of the wise counsels little realizes what
pitfalls and sloughs of despond are
before her. 1t seems the easiest thing in
the world. All one has to do is to set
down in one column the money she
receives, and in another the various
amounts spent from time to time, and
so at the end of the week add both, bal
ance them and it is done but the trouble
is, it never, never does como out right
by any chance, and then the brain
rackin inns.
Ina,s literary society of ladies
not tho. nd miles from Boston, the
subject BET cone CT the meetings was
'HousehoIo Finance" Those who
attended it. did so with the hope that
some royal road to success would be
revealed. The Introductory paper was q
| humorous sketch describing one
woman's effort to keep her accounts. 1t
may seem like telling tales out of school,
but IN the opening discussion that
followed one lady after another des-
cribed her own efforts and failures.
They all heartily approved OF the idea,
and started at the beginning of each
wear with roole resolutions and clean
blank books. One never.could make the
list of expenses reckon twice alike. She
figured up and found a certain result,
then she reckoned downward with a
different conclusion; thus she found
herself no wiser than at the outset. She
considered accounts the most aggra-
waiting irritating, confusing things
imaginable Another lady, who had
charge of large and expensive house
hold, in her desire TO know where the
bountifull SUPPLY of money went that
passed through her hands, undertook q
regular system of double entry book
keeping land made botch OF it, she
frankly confessed. She honestly made
up the deficit regularly from her own
purse. If any of the members present.
we're successful in bookkeeping expert
ments they were not philosophical or
Courageous enough to 'speak in meetln" ~
and tell how they did it.
A very systematic young woman, a
student at one of our higher schools,
said one day:"I am sure one of the serV-
ants must have stolen money from me.
| miss over three dollars. i am very
strict about my accounts and put dow n
every thing carefully. l am sorry TO
suspect the girl, but am driven to it.
Possibly you have forgotten to note
some item"
mol it is not possible. am very
| exact"
You put down that hslf dozen
northumberland you boua ht Satur-
day, of course2"
4 blank look came over her face
which quickly changed to one OF hor
2 ror.
! II did not"
"And the laca?"
, "Nor that either"
The very foundations had given way
and her faith in the infallibility OF hel
{ account being destroyed, its value wa;
e gone, too.
= The husbands and brothers love tt
y twit the women-folks little on facts
but would they themselves do any bette
uncer similar circumstances Do the!
o ever keep.strict account of trifing detail
e of personal expense, or do they sum al
: small masters cigars, newspapers, ca,
# farce or any nnaccounted fol- deficit
b under the comprehensive head o
o "sundries 2" A persistent woman devot
e ing herself to her account would raci
v her poor brain to recall the items, ant
consider that convenient 'sundrles
IS as Sinking the issue.
= Then see the the advantage the mel
d have in the matter of pockets. Suppos
r they were limited to two or three @
tLose useful appendages, artfully hide
ia draperies, instead of the twenty-hv
or thirty more or less, which appertal
y to the suit of the average business mar
# How would they find room for the bill
# book, memorandum-book, stylographl
,r pen, cigar and match-Case, bushes
"a cards, bunch of keys, change-purse an
. all the other impe dimentaP A ma
coths himself in the morning for tn
days occupation, once for all, and hs
the needful convenicnces always
J. hand; while his wife makes nothing
A. changing her dress several times a Ola
ly l.morning dress for home duties
?. second best for street suit for errand
n afternoon dress for receiving or stree
dress for making calls, etc. Her note
n book and pencil are sure to be forgotte
az among the changes, and VIII not 9
u ready when wanted.
se In business life vouchers and account
% are presented and paid by checks {
10 stated intervals, and remain as eyidene
so of the completed transaction. ..ClerE
"a are employed to attend to the book
I'll and devote their whole attention
l.. that d. cnent. 1t may be comic
r. for - q couraged sisterhood
* r.. ~4l.t women make the best {
81 book-keepers, and al
1t. n many of.the large mercal
itn .ablishments by wide-awal
mel She know what they are abon
and would not put up with iRferlt
1t. help from motives OF Qalse) econom.
-, These find women quicker, more obsel
want of details. more accurate ths
W men, and certainly equally honeFt.
tn defsulting woman cahier lis yet
ny unhesrd of individual, and may it alwa,
as be So.-Mary Winchester. in Co.